Editorials
Thursday, July 11, 1996
Dole softens his stand against
gun control
BOB Dole has withdrawn his support for repealing the ban on assault weapons but his reasoning is unpersuasive. He says the ban has been ineffective so it doesn't need to be repealed. The real reason seems to be that he's trying to find a way to modify his anti-gun-control stand without repudiating it.
While remaining opposed to gun control in principle, Dole is looking for a way to reach out to the majority of Americans who favor controls by pressing for a national system of instant computer checks of gun buyers. It's something like his effort to accommodate supporters of abortion rights in the Republican platform, which will be anti-abortion - another straddle.
Congress enacted legislation two years ago banning the manufacture and sale of 17 assault-style weapons. In March 1995, Dole made repeal of the law a top priority, telling the National Rifle Association in a letter that he considered the measure "ill-conceived." The House voted for its repeal four months ago, but Dole, then Senate majority leader, did not bring the proposed repeal up for a vote in the Senate, where a filibuster was threatened. He has seldom mentioned the issue during the campaign.
Backing away from his earlier view to make repeal a top priority, Dole now says, "Let's be realistic. Of the 17 weapons that were specifically outlawed, 11 are already back on the market in some other form. We've moved beyond the debate over banning assault weapons." It is also realistic to note public sentiment favoring the ban and his need to reach out to gun- control supporters.
Dole supports eliminating the five-day waiting period required in the 1994 Brady law for background checks of handgun purchasers, as does the National Rifle Association. But his advocacy of an improved national system of checks indicates a welcome switch of emphasis.
Virginia's two-minute computer background check, which he praised, lacks the capability to trace national data, which takes longer to gather. The five-day wait should remain until the national system becomes capable of instant checks, as Dole proposes. But the idea is attractive and should be pursued.
The all-but-certain Republican candidate is trying to moderate his positions and move toward the center. Similarly, President Clinton has been talking like a conservative, trying to co-opt Republican proposals. Both understand that the moderate vote holds the key to victory. The gun-control issue could be a significant factor in attracting that vote.
Other editorials in brief:
Minimum wage hike
EFFORTS in Congress to raise the minimum wage have more to do with politics than economics. This, after all, is an election year, and politicians of both parties are looking for ways to show their desire to help low-income workers. With concern over inflation growing, this may not be the best time to raise the minimum wage from the point of view of economics. But a moderate increase, which would compensate for the effects of inflation since the last increase in 1991, is probably unavoidable in an election year.
Powell's reversal
AN editorial yesterday criticized Colin Powell for saying that he did not seek a major role at the Republican convention and did not plan to campaign for Bob Dole or any other GOP candidates this fall. The retired general's initial remarks may have reflected a genuine desire to stay out of the campaign but could have been resented by the party faithful. Presumably that prospect has since dawned on him, and he has revised his position accordingly. But the reversal could affect his credibility.
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John M. Flanagan, Editor & Publisher
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